Lydia Jovi Cruz BFA’27 is the only artist in a family of scientists and doctors. Growing up in Guam and Chicago, Cruz knew she either wanted to be an artist or an environmental scientist. She chose art, but never left science behind.
The summer between her second and third year at Willamette University’s Pacific Northwest College of Art, Cruz, an Animation major, landed an Artist-In-Residence position at the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, where she created illustrations of abstract concepts in cognitive and biochemical science for academic publications.
The work put her at the intersection of two worlds she knows well. While visual artists are often overlooked in the scientific research process, they are crucial to translating dense data into accessible concepts for academic journals and textbooks. Art can be an important tool for scientific communication, helping to bring cutting-edge ideas to new audiences.
“What fascinated me was that an artist could mend that bridge between the audience and the scientist,” Cruz says.
In one commission for the journal Trends in Cognitive Science, Cruz used the visual metaphor of a ladder to help explain the role of physical effort in shaping behavior. Throughout the process, she worked closely with scientists to understand the concepts she was being asked to communicate through visual storytelling.
Cruz credits PNCA’s multidisciplinary approach for preparing her to take on assignments outside her own areas of expertise.“PNCA makes sure you're multidisciplinary, both during and after school,” Cruz says. “That’s important because you'll need so many branches in your tree to be fruitful for your career and portfolio.”
Cruz learned that, like scientists, artists engage in experimentation. It’s a perfect approach for an artist learning to bring diverse fields together and a testament to the interdisciplinary commitment that is at the heart of a PNCA education.
“I really try my best to open myself up to almost all disciplines that I can think of,” Cruz says. “As artists, it’s in our blood to experiment and figure out narratives and concepts through different means and perspectives.”
Making connections
Cruz has always been entrepreneurial in her approach to art. As a high school student in Chicago, Cruz entered art competitions to build her network, eventually receiving an invitation to submit a design representing the state of Illinois for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. These early successes helped convince her family of scientists and doctors that she had what it took to pursue art seriously.
Whether it’s finding opportunities like the Vanderbilt Artist-In-Residence program through LinkedIn, getting mentorship from PNCA alums, or collaborating on animation projects, Cruz is getting first-hand experience building a network of artists that will serve her well in the future.
“Art can be very nomadic, because once you're done with a project, you go on to the next project or the next company or something you want to create,” Cruz says. “And what matters is the relationships that you've made along the way.”
